The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-06-16
AT FREDERICKSBURG.
An Indiana CCmrsds Says Gen. Robinson Was
Right.

Au tGnFaGe says ten. kODlnSOn was
Right.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: saw an arti-
Gle written by Comrade w. III. Church. 2d Wis.,
giving his version of the crossing by the First
Corps of the Rappahannock River at the battle
Of Fredericksburg. l have no doubt about his
being there, rs he says, at that time, but in
trying to correct GEN RObinson's statements in
regard to the condition of the weather he is
sadly in error. belonged to that cvrps-Gen
Cutters Brigade, First Division, and was then
acting as clerk in the Assistant Inspector Gen
erals Office. L remember distinctly that it
commenced raining the night of April % 1863
just our brigade was going into camp in the
woods OF which the cOmrade speaks. and con-
tinued until late in the night. On the morn
Ing of the 18th the Iron Brigade, under Gen.
Sol Meredith, passed our brigade as we Law in
the woods by the roadside, on their way to the
river, and was soon lost To my sight in the
very dense log that prevailed along the river
bottoms.
There were two poutOOn bridges thrown
across the river at distance of half mile
apart, and i crossed on the lower one. / could
not say positively rs to what troops were the
first To cross, but / remember seeing the pom
tOOn boats landing on the opposite bank and
the men from them rushing rapidly up the
bank under fire Of the rebel piekets that were
In the deep ditch which lined the opposite high
plain formed into squads and fred couple of
volleys at the retreating foe.
have adistinct recollection of the surround
Ings Of that locality. On the brow of the
plateau, on the side from which we crossed
at the edge of the timber, stood the FItzhugh
House, and at the foot of the rising ground
stood big elm tree, where there was one of
those elegant springs with which the State
abOunds, and here was established our brigade
al frhara frb 81.
run along the opposite side back from the river,
leaving wide plateau of cultivated ground be-
tween the river and the foot of the hills In
an open field along the crest Of this range of
hills the rebels planted battery, with which
they occasionally annoyed our troops. One of
the shots from this battery struck the brick
house in which Gen. Cutler had his headquar-
tiers. Lower down the river the enemy had
placed one of their WhitwOrth riied guns, said
TO have been captured from US ut the first Bull
Run fight.
had occasion to cross the bridge frequently,
and just as | was going over at one time one Of
the shots from the hill gun struck the bridge
and knocked out some of the planks, but they
were soon replaced. At one time they directed
their gun at our ambulance train, which was
parked in field lying across the river Oppo-
site, and their shot caused no little cOmmOtion
among the animals and men belonging to that
department. We lay on the Fredericksburg
side all of the Goth and 30th days of April, and
on the lst of May recrOssed and moved up the
river to the United States Ford, above the city,
and again crossed TO 20 to the Wilderness
During the first night after we crossed there
was constant firing between the picket-Iines,
but with few casualties; but this obnoxious
method of warfare lost its favor, aud there was
no more picket firing on our lines the remain
ing night.
As to another matter of which Comrade
Church speaks. and have done this perhaps
prohtlesS criticism. for there is no controversy
between US. He belonged To one brigade and
to another of the same Corps. and if we did not
share alike in the active duties of warfare, we
experienced the same conditions ofthe weather
And say, with Gen. Robinson, that it rained
copiOusly during the night of the 2Sth of
April, 1863 Our brigade occupied quarters
during the Winter of '62 and 90 on the high
grounds between Falmouth and Matthias
Point, on the Potomac River. / have some
acquaintance (soldiersl who were with the
Iron Brigade, and also have a very high re-
gard for the organization, independent of my
respect for my fellow-soldiers in general
JAMES Z. MAIN, 9Th Ind, Syracuse, N. Y.